


I'm Not All Rotten

by thecaptaincarrot



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Awesome Martha Jones, BDSM, Gay, Gay Sex, M/M, Slow Burn, Stockholm, Teasing, The Valiant (Doctor Who)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2020-05-30 20:43:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19411033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecaptaincarrot/pseuds/thecaptaincarrot
Summary: The Doctor was wrong, and he's lost everything. Now he and Martha are at the mercy of an insane timelord with all the power. But the Master has a new goal- to make the Doctor his. Martha intends to do everything she can to save the Doctor and keep him away from the Master, but what happens if the Doctor doesn't want to be saved?





	1. Chapter 1

Martha groaned as the alarms blared. She shifted as much as she could with the metal walls constraining her movements. As she moved, pain shot up her back and neck. This cell wasn’t big enough for a dog, let alone Martha Jones. But the Master knew that. 

Below her hanging cell, she heard the doors swish open. She didn’t bother moving her head to look out the small window, she already knew who it was.

“Good morning Martha Jones!” He yelled. Upbeat rock music began blaring throughout the room. Martha braced herself for what she knew would happen next. She struggled to move her arms in the tight space and grabbed the sill of the window tightly with her hands. As soon as she’d gotten a grip, she felt the floor of her cell disappear from under her. Martha dangled halfway out of the cell for a moment before her weak arms gave way and she came crashing to the ground. 

As she groaned, she heard his maniacal laughter echoing throughout the hall. Her body was sore from a week of being cooped up in that box and then dropped onto the floor. She watched as his polished black shoes walked towards her, but she had no strength to look up at him. He pulled her up effortlessly, and grinned at her, “How’d you sleep?”

Martha didn’t answer. She was too tired. Instead, she looked over the Master’s shoulder to look at the sad man chained to the Master’s throne. He wasn’t a shrivelled old man anymore, the Master had changed him back after Martha had failed her mission. But he still looked just as pathetic as he had when he was as old as dust. Somehow, it was worse seeing him young and hopeless. 

The Doctor didn’t meet her eyes. He just stared out the window like always. Looking down on the planet he once protected. 

The Master placed Martha down in a chair roughly and squatted in front of her, smiling wildly, “Your sister is very very happy Martha. She thinks you’d have a fun time too if you came down and met all the girls.” Despite her fatigue, Martha felt a flame of absolute hatred burn brightly. She glared at him, wishing she could tear him apart with her bare hands. Before he captured her, Tish was just a maid to him. But once the Master had set out to break Martha completely, he’d forced her sister into his harem. Every day, poor Tish had to pretend to enjoy whatever he put her through or she’d be thrown off the Valiant. He’d sent her father off to a labor camp somewhere in the Americas. Maybe worst of all was what he’d done with her mother- she was put in a cell with screens showing her what each member of her family was suffering through. He never let Martha forget what he’d done to her family. And she’d never forgive him. 

“Or maybe you’d prefer to keep your precious Doctor company?” He gave her a playful wink, like a gossiping schoolgirl. Martha’s glare remained, and even though the Master had spoken loudly, the Doctor didn’t so much as glance over at his companion. His eyes were hollow and blank. 

“Nothing? Nothing at all?” The Master asked. His face contorted into mock disappointment, “Oh Martha, when did you get so boring? I knew I’d break you, but I didn’t know you’d be so easy!” He patted her cheek absent-mindedly before squishing her lips until they looked like a fish’s. She knew what he was doing- he was trying to provoke her to act out. To slap him or scream or anything. But he’d already taken everything from her. And she knew he was just looking for an excuse to hurt her. 

He tweaked her nose for a bit and flicked her like a three year old before sighing and slapping her hard. Martha let out a cry of pain and brought her hand to her cheek. She glanced at him warily, but he’d already turned to face the Doctor.

“Don’t you care if I hit her Doctor?” Martha was surprised to see him staring at her, with those awful hopeless eyes. If she looked hard enough, she could see a sliver of worry and regret in that husk of a timelord. 

“Don’t…” He muttered without much conviction. Martha felt herself tense again as the Master turned back to her, grinning. She felt a sudden pang of fear and he grabbed her- he would do anything to get the Doctor to react. He dragged her up the stairs until they were standing right in front of the Doctor’s shackled spot. 

The Master turned Martha so she was facing the Doctor and he was behind her. She stared at the Doctor with rage as she felt the Master start to kiss her neck and move his hands over her body. The Doctor looked away sharply,

“Stop it.” The Doctor snapped, his brow furrowing. Martha’s cheeks burned with humiliation as the Master laughed and yanked off Martha’s shirt. Underneath, her torso was a map of bruises and scars. Once upon a time, she might have cared about how the scars and discolored blotches made her look, but she didn’t care now. She knew The Master didn’t care either. He only had eyes for the Doctor.

“What will you do to make me stop Doctor?” The Master moved one of his hands under Martha’s bra and began groping her. Martha shivered slightly with disgust but stayed strong. He wanted a reaction, she reminded herself.

The Doctor stared straight at the Master, his eyes full of a fury that Martha hadn’t seen since her mission had failed, “I’ll do what you want.” He said softly.

“Anything?” The Master asked excitedly, pulling his hand from her breast and punching Martha in the gut. Martha gasped with pain and doubled over, tears welling in her eyes from the shock and humiliation of it all. 

“Yes!” The Doctor shouted, “Just stop it Master. Just leave her alone.” Martha heard his voice crack slightly, and she looked up at him. Through her foggy eyes, Martha could see the fear in the Doctor’s eyes as he stared at her. 

Martha felt his hand on the back of her neck, forcing her to stay staring down. The Master rubbed a hand over her back carelessly and possessively, “Say please.” 

“Please.” The Doctor said. His voice was weak and defeated. Martha felt rage and disgust coil in her stomach. None of this was supposed to happen. The Doctor wasn’t supposed to be like this… weak and passive.

The Master shoved Martha away. She collapsed on the floor and he stepped over her towards the Doctor. Now that she’d provided a way to break down the Doctor, the Master didn’t even glance her way. Martha pulled her shirt on and watched cautiously as the Master gently pulled up the Doctor’s chin so the Doctor was staring at him. He was totally focused on the Doctor, and so Martha began looking around the room for any sort of weapon. 

“Come on, don’t be coy Doctor…” 

Martha’s eyes darted around the room until they settled on a large sleek vase full of disintegrating flowers across the room on the long table. Martha glanced back quickly at the Master. He had cupped the Doctor’s face in his hands and was kissing him deeply. The Doctor’s eyes were closed too- and Martha legitimately couldn’t tell if he was enjoying it or not. Martha began to quietly step down the stairs and made her way to the table. Her hand gripped the vase tightly and her eyes darted back to the Master. His hands were wrapped around the Doctor’s neck as he continued to kiss him. 

Martha crept up the stairs, eyeing the Master with wide eyes. Her footsteps were light and her breathing was steady. So Martha had no idea how the Doctor knew to open his eyes as she was only a few steps away from the Master. He must have done something- gasped or stopped kissing the Master back, because as Martha’s eyes locked with the Doctor’s the Master stiffened and turned around to see Martha with the vase raised over her head.

Martha let out a yell and brought the vase down hard. The Master blocked the blow with his arm before it could crack over his head and reached into his pocket for his laser screwdriver. 

Martha’s eyes widened. She’d seen what that thing could do to a human. She threw the vase with all her might at the Master’s face and sprinted towards the elevator. She heard a roar of rage from the timelord and then the awful sound of his screwdriver firing at her and missing. 

The elevator doors opened and two guards stepped out, blocking Martha’s escape entirely. 

“Shit.” Martha hissed whirling around to stare at the Master. She felt a wave of exhaustion and pain overtake her as she looked at that stupid grinning face of his. He’d won. Again. But she felt some small satisfaction as she noticed the red impact the vase had made on the Master’s face and the fury in his eyes.

“Oh Martha,” The Master hissed. His voice was still carefree on the surface, but Martha could tell she’d severely ticked him off, “What to do with you…” He pointed his laser screwdriver at her, waiting for the reaction. Despite her aching body and spinning mind, Martha couldn’t help but let out a laugh like the first time he’d caught her months ago. 

He couldn’t hide his irritation this time as he scowled at her. Behind him, the Doctor was looking at Martha with fearful and tired eyes. It was like he was watching a tragedy unfold for the hundredth time. That made Martha laugh even more as she thought back to how he used to make her feel so special. If only she’d realized… he never felt the same about her. He’d never feel the same about her. 

“What’s it now Jones?” The Master asked impatiently. 

Martha let out another frenzied laugh, “Go on! Kill me you sick bastard!” She grinned and for the first time in over a year, Martha didn’t feel any fear. It was so liberating and beautiful that Martha didn’t even process the Master walking closer to her until he was right in front of her. His face was solemn and his eyes were glinting dangerously. Once she caught sight of his eyes, the delusional laughter and triumph fell off her. Martha’s eyes went wide and she tried to bolt- but the guards behind her quickly grabbed her malnourished and bruised body and held her down. 

He didn’t speak to her, but his eyes spoke clearly. The Master could do much worse than kill Martha. 

“Hold out her hand.” He said to one of the guards. 

“Master no! You can’t!” The Doctor shouted, feebly straining against his chains. The Master grinned at Martha, lapping up the fear she was radiating, “Don’t worry, you’re not going to die today, Martha Jones.”

Martha watched with horror as the Master pointed the screwdriver at her left hand. The yellow beam shot out. Martha screamed and screamed. As her sobs echoed throughout the hall, the Doctor’s eyes started becoming hollow again, and he sank back into his veil of hopelessness.


	2. Doctor

Whenever the Doctor closed his eyes, he could see Martha screaming in pain, with only a stump left where her hand used to be. Her sobs and cries of pain still echoed around the silent room he was chained in, preventing him from sleeping. A few hours ago, he’d been crying himself, but the tears eventually stopped, leaving his heart empty. 

He’d sent her on a mission, to spread his name across the Earth. In their final hour, he thought they’d be thinking of him, of their savior. Some had, but most had been thinking of their children or their family. Not a man they’d been told to wish for like some sort of magic fairy. He’d sent her on a mission destined to fail, and she’d walked back into the wolf’s lair for him. 

The Doctor looked out the window at the ruined Earth below. The silence in the dark hall was deafening, and the scrawny timelord stayed completely still as he stared out. The door opened softly, golden light from beyond spilling into the Doctor’s prison. The Doctor looked over at the Master’s silhouette sadly. The Master stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, encasing both of them in darkness. 

The Doctor turned back to the window as the Master approached him silently. The shorter timelord sat down next to the Doctor and rested his head against the Doctor’s shoulder. The Doctor didn’t move to wrap his arm around his friend like he did most nights. The Master nuzzled closer, grabbing the Doctor’s arm himself and pulling it around him. The Master lay in the Doctor’s lap, and closed his eyes. The Doctor looked down for a moment at him before sighing and pulling his shackled arm away from the Master. The Master’s eyes snapped open and looked at him irritably. He sat up and tried to gently hold the Doctor’s face, but the Doctor snapped his head in the other direction.

“Come on. You know I had to.” The Master said playfully, forcefully taking the Doctor’s face in his hands.

“No.” The Doctor said, scowling at the Master with a quiet anger, “You didn’t have to do anything to her.”

The Master smiled softly as his thumb rolled over the Doctor’s pursed lips fondly, “I need to be in control. You know that.”

The Doctor tried to turn his face away, but the Master kept him in place, “Master…”

“Shut up will you?” He said affectionately, leaning in closer, “You never know the right time to speak.” He started kissing the Doctor. The Doctor tried to pull away with a cry of indignance, but the Master gripped his hair tight, so his cries were muffled. 

When the Master finally pulled away, the Doctor was panting and scowling, “Stop it.” He snapped. His voice was full of anger and disgust, “This isn’t right and you know it.”

“It’s always been us, Doctor. We’re the last timelords alive. Of course it’s right.” The Master whispered and leaned in again. This time, before he could kiss the Doctor again, the Doctor jerked away with a surprising amount of force,

“You know what I mean. You could have chosen any other planet. Any other place for us to fight…” The Doctor hissed, his eyes full of anger, “You’ve ruined everything. Everything I’ve ever cared about.”

There was silence between the old friends. The Master drew away from the Doctor quietly, observing him closely as if he were expecting the Doctor to cave and apologize. But the Doctor held the Master’s gaze. 

“What about me?” 

The Doctor didn’t reply. He felt the Master’s hand touch his in the dark. He shivered and didn’t move. There was a moment of the Master tenderly rubbing the Doctor’s hand before realizing the Doctor had no intention of reciprocating. The Master stood up suddenly and kicked the Doctor in the ribs. The Doctor let out a gasp of pain and curled up on the steps he was chained on.

“That human bitch gave me a black eye.” The Master said angrily, “But of course you’ll always side with them. You love those apes more than your own kind.” 

The Doctor stayed curled up as he listened to the Master storm out of the room. The elevator door opened, flooding the room with golden light and casting the Master’s massive shadow across the Doctor. Then the doors closed, leaving the Doctor alone and in pain. 

The Doctor missed Martha. She used to be in the suspended cage, and even though he could never bring himself to talk to her, the knowledge that there was someone else there had been a comfort. But now he was on his own, nowhere to run, and nothing else to think of but Martha crying herself to sleep and cradling her stub of a wrist. 

Needless to say, the Doctor did not sleep that night. The next morning, the alarms went off once more. The Doctor was leaning against the cool metal throne that the Master had made, tired eyes wide open as he watched the Master stride into the room. He was accompanied by his wife and a few other poor girls he’d forced into his service. The music blared loudly, causing the Doctor to wince with pain. The Master didn’t so much as glance at the Doctor as he made his way to the throne, dancing to the music as he went.

The Master plopped down in his throne, a grin on his face. He was still ignoring the Doctor, who was chained directly under him. The Doctor gritted his teeth and looked out the window. Usually whenever the Master ‘presided’ over his court, it meant he tricked some poor innocent fools to come and tell him their problems, only for him to incinerate them. As far as he could tell, the Master did it for two closely linked reasons; he thought it was good fun, and he knew it upset the Doctor to no end. 

So the Doctor was bracing himself for session of watching innocent people burnt to a crisp when the Master shouted, 

“All right, send them in!” 

The Doctor quickly glanced out the window. He’d found if he didn’t look at their faces, it was a tiny bit easier. But it made him feel sick to his core all the same. 

“Alright Jones!” The Master said, and the Doctor’s head snapped up to see Martha’s whole family standing before the Master. His heart sank as he saw each one was more broken than the last. This was the Master’s revenge. He’d kill them all in front of the Doctor because of last night.

“I’ve made up my mind about you all.” His words hung in the air as the family and the Doctor stared at him with fear and anticipation, “You’re all free to go.” He finally said, grinning and throwing his hands in the air wildly.

The atmosphere didn’t improve. The Jones’ and the Doctor were still staring at the Master with distrust.

“What? Get out of here! Try to stay out of trouble now.” He said cheekily, wagging a finger at them and jumping out of his chair. He playfully gave Tish a noogie and Martha’s dad a pat on the back. Both looked as if death himself had just touched them. 

After there was no response, the Master’s grin dropped completely. He huffed irritably and motioned to the guards, “Put them in one of the pods. Make sure they get to Earth alive and get the resources to survive for a year or so.” The guards started to lead the Jones family out, Martha’s mother breaking down sobbing as they left. 

The Master turned to face the Doctor, giving the timelord a cheeky wink, “See, I’m not all rotten!” 

And even though the Doctor knew the Master had only done it for his forgiveness, the Doctor couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope in his hearts.


	3. Chapter 3: Martha

The pain hadn’t gotten any better over the days. At least the wound was cauterized by the laser essentially burning off her hand. Martha couldn’t believe that was the positive side of all this, but it was. She’d been moved from her inhuman suspended cage to a proper cell with a bed and a toilet. She supposed that was another upside to all of this, except now she couldn’t talk to the Doctor, even if she wanted to.

Normally, Martha would tell the Doctor to go fuck himself. His dedication to not killing the Master led to the destruction of the Earth and everything Martha had loved. But now that she had no access to him, Martha found herself actually wanting to speak to the Doctor. Because she was going to get out of here. Martha Jones was going to get out of this hellhole, and she was going to bring the Doctor with her. She might see through him now, but the world still saw him as a beacon of hope- as a possible savior. Hope was a powerful thing- Martha knew that better than anyone.

She’d spent that first year wandering the Earth and talking to people with no hope. She’d talked mothers out of smothering their babies to death. She’d talked men out of jumping into radiation pits. Martha Jones had been so full of hope that it only took her words to bring hope back to others. She’d inspired millions with words, convinced them to believe in a savior that didn’t even come. 

Even now, with one hand and one charred nub, Martha still had hope. Not as much as when the Doctor had a plan, admittedly, but Martha was clever too. She just needed to think of a plan. Not another “wack-the-Master-over-the-head-and-hope-he-collapses” ploy, but a proper plan. 

She shifted onto her back, wincing as the sheets brushed her exposed wound. She wouldn’t be so foolish again. No more silly risks. She only had so many limbs for him to burn off after all. 

It had been several days since the incident and Martha found herself extremely bored. She’d gotten over the shock of not having her hand and the rage she felt towards the Master. Rage wasn’t what would get her out. Rage wouldn’t help her family. Rage was the tool that fools and cowards used to fuel them. So as she had laid in bed, Martha plotted and plotted. She’d come up with a dozen half-baked and outlandish plans, but none of them had taken the Master being nice into account.

A pair of guards walked up to her cell, and Martha’s eyes widened at the sight of a medical kit tucked under one of the guard’s arms. As soon as they had opened the door, both of the mens’ guns were cocked and pointed at Martha. 

Martha rolled her eyes and waved her stub of a wrist in the air, “Please. I surrender.” She said, sarcasm dripping off her voice. 

The guards didn’t react, solemnly placing the medical kit in front of Martha. 

“A doctor will come in soon.” One of the men said. The other reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Martha sat up with surprise. It’d been ages since she’d seen one of those.   
“The Master has released your family. You have three minutes.” He said gruffly, pressing a button. Martha grabbed the phone as soon as he offered it to her. Her heart was racing.

“Hello?” She pressed the phone against her face with her hand, cradling her other arm against her chest.

“Martha?”

“Mum!” Martha cried joyfully. She felt tears streaming down her face as she let out a gasp. 

“Are you ok?” Her mom sounded worried, and Martha could hear voices in the background,

“Y-yes! I’m fine Mum. How are you? Are you safe? Is Tish-”

Her mom must have put her on speaker because suddenly,

“Yes Martha, I’m fine.” Tish’s beautiful voice sounded through the phone and Martha couldn’t hold back a sob of relief. It was real. They were really ok.

“I’m here too honey. We’re all here.” Her dad’s low voice rang through. Martha started laughing and crying at the same time, rocking back and forth on her cot as relief and happiness shot through her heart.

“Thank god. Thank god.” Martha started muttering, grinning so hard she felt like her face would break.

“He let us go. And he gave us a house and enough food for a year.” Her mom piped up, talking as if she were announcing the death of a friend instead of announcing good fortune. 

Martha’s grin faded, “Who? Not the Master.”

“Yes, the Master. We don’t know why. We were hoping you did.” Her mom sounded grave and terrified now.

“I-I don’t know.. I-”

“I know the man, Martha.” Tish said. Her voice was hard, “He doesn’t do things like this. It feels too good to be true.”

Martha’s heart went cold. Of course it was too good to be true. Maybe he was still punishing her- letting her believe her family was safe only to rip them apart again.

“I’m not sure.” Martha said, glancing up at the guards in her cell, “He hasn’t been any kinder to me.” She wasn’t about to tell them he’d burned her hand off, “Stay smart. Stay together and don’t trust him.” Martha finally advised.

“We miss you Martha.” Her father said. She could hear her mother crying.

“God…” Martha bit her lip as tears welled again, “I miss you too.” 

The guard held out his hand for the phone, “Time’s up.”

“They’re taking away the phone. I love you all. Be safe. I’ll see you soon.” Martha gushed quickly as the guard pulled the phone away. He closed the phone before she could hear their tinny reply. 

Martha’s heart sank as the guard tucked the phone back into his pocket. Somehow, despite her determination to stay hopeful, she felt that was the last time she’d talk to her family. As she reflected on this, she heard footsteps approaching.

A woman entered the cell, eyeing the two guards with annoyance. They seemed to pick up on her gaze, because they promptly filed out of the cell, locking the woman in with Martha. She was tall and thin like a razor. Her dark hair had been neatly curled and bounced slightly whenever she tilted her head. Her face was severely long like a horse’s with beady eyes and a large bird-like nose. She wore a white doctor’s coat and fiddled with a pen as she examined Martha.

Martha suddenly felt as if she’d been put under a microscope. The woman had some of the most intense eyes that Martha had ever seen.

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.” Martha said, but the sassy remark landed flat. Her father had taught her that saying, and as she said it, she just thought of him. 

The woman’s face cracked into a small smile, “Apologies. My name is Doctor Alverez. And you’re Martha Jones?”

The way she said that made it feel like a trick question. 

“Yes. I’m Martha Jones.” Martha said, meeting Alverez’s gaze. 

Doctor Alverez nodded, “Good, good.” She turned to the medical kit the guards had left and picked it up, plopping it on the end of Martha’s cot, “I’m here to take care of…” She glanced up at the charred flesh on Martha’s wrist, “er- your injury.”

Martha frowned, “Oh, you mean to say the Master’s trying to fix what he destroyed?” Her voice was harsh, and Doctor Alverez pursed her lips at the blunt words.

“I can’t say. What the Master wants, that is.” She said. Her eyes focused on the bandages she was measuring out and cutting.

“Then how can you do your job? You work for him don’t you?” Martha was the one analyzing Alverez now. The poor woman’s cheeks were starting to tinge pink.

“I work for him because he commanded it.” Doctor Alverez brought a tube of salve over to Martha, and began spreading the cool substance over the burnt skin. Martha had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain. The screams boiled in her heart as the pain roared through her body.

“But it doesn’t mean I’m concerned with what he wants.” The woman said meaningfully, locking eyes with Martha. Martha managed a nod, and the doctor’s expression softened, “I’m sorry for the pain. It’ll help the skin heal faster.”

“I know.” Martha gasped, and let Doctor Alverez slowly push her down until she was lying down on the cot. Her touch lingered on Martha, and she let out an instinctive sigh of relief. The woman’s hands were self assured and comforting. The sort of motherly touch Martha hadn’t felt since-

God. Martha began to shake as silent sobs consumed her. Her face contorted as she tried to keep the tears in, but as she thought of her mother brushing her hair and hugging her, Martha felt the hot tears leak down her face. She turned her face so the doctor wouldn’t see.

“It’s ok, Martha Jones.” Doctor Alverez said, leaving a brief touch on Martha’s shoulder, “I’m going to start bandaging now. Tell me if it’s too much.”

Martha nodded and quickly wiped her wet face with her other arm. There was silence as Doctor Alverez worked, but it wasn’t at all uncomfortable. Her movements were slow and graceful, as if Martha was a frightened animal she didn’t want to spook. 

“You’re a doctor yourself, no?” Alverez said in a calm voice, her beady eyes flicking to stare at Martha.

“Basically, yeah.” Martha said, “I was still training when… well you know, he took over. But I’ve helped enough people when I was travelling that I sort of assume I’ve earned it.” 

The older woman nodded, “I’ve heard stories about you. I heard you led a rebellion in Brazil.”

Martha chuckled mirthlessly, “No, I helped get it rolling, but I wasn’t the right person to lead it.”

“Still,” She said and she finished tying off the bandage, “Very impressive, Doctor Jones.” She gave Martha a smile before beginning to pack up.

Martha suddenly felt a jolt of panic at the idea of being alone again, “What about you? Why’re you here working for him?” She asked quickly. Doctor Alverez looked up with raised eyebrows from her medical kit, obviously caught a bit off guard. 

“Oh, er, I would tell you, but I’ve got to attend to the others,” She said sincerely, “It was very nice to meet you Doctor Jones, I’ll be back tomorrow to change those bandages for you.” She said, giving Martha another smile.

“You can just call me Martha.” Martha blurted out as Alverez knocked on the door to signal the guards.

“Pardon?” Alverez had that same look of surprise wash across her face.

“I just mean, instead of Doctor Jones. It’s a little much.” Martha said, suddenly feeling more than a little self conscious. 

Luckily, Alverez quickly smiled again with understanding, “Absolutely. And you can call me Lina if you prefer, Martha.” The door was unlocked and opened, and Lina left. The door was closed again and Martha laid back, dreading the hours of boredom and worry that lay ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will be on the 5th! Thank you to everyone who's given this story kudos or comments! I hope y'all are enjoying the ride!


	4. Chapter 4: Doctor

This time, when the Master came to him at night, the Doctor let the Master lay his head in the Doctor’s lap. They didn’t speak, the Doctor just stroked the Master’s hair until he felt the Master’s breathing soften and become even. There were so many things the Doctor wished he knew about the timelord sleeping in his lap. Things weren’t always like this, he hadn’t always been like this. They’d go on all sorts of adventures together as children, sneaking out into the country and running around in the red fields until the Doctor’s lungs ached and his legs were shaking. He’d always outrun the Master, always. But whenever they wrestled, the winner was always the Master. The Doctor felt his hearts ache as he recalled the nostalgic times.

“When did it get so hard?” He murmured to the sleeping timelord as he stroked his light brown hair out of his face. In the dark, the Master’s face was one of total calm. The Doctor wondered if the drums haunted him here in this pure darkness as well. 

He didn’t remember falling asleep like that, his shackled hands cradling his captor, but when he awoke, it wasn’t to the sound of alarms, it was to the Master slipping out of his grasp. The Doctor opened his eyes to see the Master watching him. It was early morning, and the sun was spilling in through the windows. 

“Good morning.” The Doctor said, eyeing the Master somewhat warily as he continued to stare at him.

“Yes, yes.” The Master waved dismissively. His black eye was fading rapidly, the Doctor noted somewhat bitterly. He was a sick man to think Martha’s actions warranted crippling her for life. The Doctor shoved those to the back of his mind where they wouldn’t be forgotten, but where they couldn’t poison the Doctor’s efforts to help. 

“What do you want to do today?” The Master asked quickly, spitting the words out as if they might burn him if he considered them for too long. 

The Doctor raised his eyes with shock, “What?”

The Master stood up, grinning at the Doctor’s confusion, “Don’t think too hard Doctor, we wouldn’t want to overwork that clever brain of yours.” 

The Doctor frowned, “Is this some sort of joke?”

The Master squatted back down so he was level with the Doctor and patted his cheek, “Not at all. Come on, I’ll even get you some of those silly shoes you like to wear.” He was smiling excitedly, and the Doctor found his hearts beating a little faster than usual.

“They’re not-” He shook his head, the chains around his neck clinking as he moved, “You’re serious aren’t you?” He asked, trying to read what was in the Masters eyes. 

The Master immediately made a comically solemn face, “Can’t you tell?” He said in an exaggeratedly deep voice. 

The Doctor continued to frown at the Master suspiciously until the Master sighed, “Yes, I’m serious you dolt! Now choose something you want to do before I change my mind.” He said, his mad eyes gleaming as he watched the Doctor think.

“I want to see Martha and Jack.” The Doctor said without hesitation, and the Master let out a groan.

“Gods, somehow I knew you’d say that.” He said with annoyance, “We can visit them at the end of the day, choose something else to do.” 

“You promise though? I will get to see them?” The Doctor pried, eyes locked on the Master insistently.

“Fine! Yes.” The Master snapped, a sudden anger flaring in his eyes as he stood up, frowning down at the Doctor, “You’ll get to visit your precious apes.”

The Doctor looked a little more at ease now, “I want to visit the Earth then.” He said calmly. Inside, his hearts were beating so fast he was afraid they might run right out of his chest. The idea of walking the Earth again- seeing firsthand how she’d been hurt- made him terrified. But he needed to see it. He needed to see what Martha spent a year surviving. And what had happened to the planet he’d spent so long protecting.

The Master grinned, “Wonderful! We’re already beginning our descent.” 

The Doctor braced himself for a forced kiss as the Master leaned, but he just pinched the Doctor’s cheek and gave him a mischievous smile before jumping up and strolling out of the room. The Doctor was left somewhat stunned by the Master. He was sure the Master’s efforts to get the Doctor to forgive him would only last a day at most, but here he was, taking the Doctor on a field trip.  
It didn’t calm the anger and frustration the Doctor felt towards the Master, no. There was too much between them. But for the longest time, the Doctor had been convinced the Master didn’t even care what he thought or how he felt. 

The Valiant was a hell of a ship to land, and the Doctor watched the whole thing, gazing earnestly out of the small window he was shackled next to. The whole craft grumbled and heaved as it finally came to rest upon the Earth’s dusty and ruined surface. The Doctor watched as shadows of humans scampered back and forth through the dust, taking but a moment to look at the Valiant before sprinting away. 

He snapped his head away from the window as he heard the door open. The Master came in, grinning and spreading his arms out as if he’d was expecting thunderous applause. 

“Doctor, welcome to Earth.” He said, his voice booming throughout the hall. The Doctor gave the Master a small, sad smile. As soon as the Master’s voice faded, the Doctor realized how quiet it was. He’d been listening to the same damned engine for over a year. The silence was unsettling. 

Two guards stepped forward. One of them put his hands on the Doctor’s shoulders and the other began unlocking all the shackles. The Doctor let out a soft sigh as the weight was taken off his arms. He shook his arms a bit, smiling softly to himself at the freedom of it all. He knew it was just an illusion, the guards had left the metal collar around his neck and the chain attached to it, but all the same; the feeling was thrilling.

The guards pulled him to his feet and dragged him to the Master. 

“No need boys, set him down.” The Master said, never taking his eyes off the Doctor. 

As soon as the guards’ support left, the Doctor stumbled a little. This body had atrophied from sitting for over a year and he could feel it in his legs. The Doctor let out a shaky sigh as he steadied himself.

“Oh dear. Here Doctor, let me help.” The Master said, his voice was full of mock sympathy as he grabbed hold of the Doctor. His eyes were brimming with amusement, and the Doctor had no choice but to grit his teeth and lean on the Master. He wasn’t strong enough to support himself. Yet.

“Down we go.” The Master talked as if he were talking to a child as he helped the Doctor down the stairs. The Doctor did his best to ignore him, but as the Master continued, the Doctor shoved him away, stumbling and nearly falling. He leaned against the wall, glaring at the Master as he made his way to the door. The Master was obviously amused by the Doctor’s struggling, and pressed the button to open the elevator. 

When the elevator finally opened, the Doctor lurched off of the wall and pushed past the Master into the elevator first. The Master just followed after him, his eyes dancing with delight and a smug smirk upon his face. The Doctor could feel his legs growing stronger and more steady the longer he stood on them, but he suspected this visit to Earth wasn’t going to be entirely pleasant. 

Slowly but surely, the last two timelords made their way to the main exit of the Valiant. The Doctor insisted on walking by himself, but it was slow, hard work. The Master kept complaining, mocking and yelling at him, but the Doctor stayed focused until he was in front of the door.

“God, finally…” The Master groaned, rolling his eyes as he pressed a large button next to the door. The door slid open and immediately, the Doctor rushed forward, stumbling as he went.

Immediately, the smog snaked its way into his lungs, choking him from the inside out. The Doctor let out a cough, his eyes watering from the burning acid in the air. As he was struggling to adjust, he felt the Master’s hands fastening a gas mask around his face. He ripped the mask off, glaring at the Master. He’d endure what humanity was enduring.

“Suit yourself.” The Master’s tinny voice came from under his mask, “Can I request a handsome Doctor after this one dies of poisoning?” The Doctor could see him grinning under the mask, and his frown deepened. 

He started walking forward with purpose, but the Master grabbed his arm, causing him to lose his balance and fall back into the Master. 

“What was that for?” The Doctor snapped, glaring at the Master as he tried to push himself away from the mad timelord. The Master gripped him tightly with one arm, keeping him close to his body. 

His other hand grabbed the chain that was around the Doctor’s neck, “You didn’t think I’d let you run around Earth freely did you?” He smiled cruelly at the Doctor, their faces mere inches apart.

The Doctor felt frustration and humiliation welling up inside of him again, “I can’t even walk properly thanks to you! And-and what? You’re just going to keep me on a lead like a dog?” He shouted, his cheeks flushing angrily.

Under his gas mask, the Master glanced up at the sky, pretending to consider before grinning, “Yes. Yes I am. I think these apes will appreciate it won’t you? To see their savior tamed by their master?”

The Doctor scoffed and looked away with disgust.

The Master tauntingly tugged on the Doctor’s chain, “Come on Doctor, you wanted to see the Earth, let’s see the Earth.”

The Doctor opened his mouth to protest, but the Master yanked hard on the chain, causing the Doctor to go sprawling. 

“Come on, get up. Your precious humans are waiting.”

The Doctor scowled and slowly got to his feet. Humiliating as it may be, the Doctor could never forgive himself if he didn’t see them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will be the 8th!


	5. Chapter 5: Doctor

The city they were walking through was utterly decimated. Buildings were sagging under the weight of rot or were utterly torched. The corpses lined the street, some were arranged with care, but others looked as if they’d died where they were rotting now. If the Doctor looked closely, he could occasionally see a pale face peeping out of the broken windows of the broken houses. But otherwise, the streets were deserted and as silent as death. Well, except for the sound of the Master blabbing.

“...And then I thought, why even bother with the Brazilians? They started a little revolt you know, it was a whole thing. So I landed the Valiant and…” The Master pulled out his screwdriver and jabbed it at one of the corpses that had been laid on the street. Instantly, the body disintegrated into dust.

“Every last one of those filthy animals! Oh you should have seen it Doctor, the dust was so thick, you had to wade through it all once I was done.” 

The Doctor felt sick to his stomach as the Master laughed. His hearts were racing and sweat coated his brow. He stopped in his tracks, staring up at the rotting windows. They were empty now, but he kept staring at them- longing for those faces to reappear. Behind him, the Master’s guards shifted impatiently, their heavy guns a constant itch on the Doctor’s mind. 

It was too much. The Doctor had never wanted to go back- never wanted to see anything burn the way Gallifrey had. But here he was, standing in the streets of a burning world. His breathing started to grow more shallow and hurried.

There was a hard tug on the damned chain, and the Doctor stumbled. His eyes remained glued to the windows as the Master started his never ending taunting, 

“Do you need a breather, old man?” The Master said, but as the Doctor continued to focus on something other than him, his smirk turned into a frown. He yanked on the chain, choking the Doctor and making him sputter and trip. 

The Doctor glared up at him, quickly scrambling to his feet.

“This is what you wanted isn’t it Doctor?” The Master said, his eyes gleaming angrily. 

“Of course it isn’t.” The Doctor said, rage causing his voice to tremble slightly, “You’re a monster.” He spoke softly, but his eyes and words burned, and for a split second, he could have sworn the Master looked hurt before smirking.

“Thank you Doctor, but you’ve only seen one neighborhood.” He grinned up at the taller timelord, his eyes glinting madly, “I can’t wait to see what you think once you’ve had the whole tour.”

The Doctor wanted nothing more than to tackle him in that moment- grab him and shake him until an apology rattled out and a moral compass had developed in that deranged brain. But the Master was always the best at wrestling- ever since they were children. Always the strongest, always the one to dominate. So when the Master yanked again at the Doctor’s chain and started walking again, the Doctor found himself stumbling along. 

They walked through slums, fields full of rubble and corpses, abandoned missiles, and more slums. The Doctor couldn’t breathe normally, but whether it was the polluted air or his own guilt and grief, he couldn’t tell. He drowned out the Master’s taunting words and just tried to keep a clear head. If he acted out now, he didn’t doubt that the Master would punish him. But the heavy steps of the guards kept him on edge, and the constant sound of their guns hitting their kevlar vests as they walked made him feel as if he were about to explode. 

As the party walked through a smoggy ally, a mangy dog slinked across their path. The Doctor felt his hearts go out to the poor thing as it looked back at the people, its tail wagging faintly. That’s when the Doctor saw the old collar and tag. This dog had been someone’s beloved pet once, and it still remembered what it was to love humans. 

All of them stopped in their tracks for a moment, including the dog as they all inspected each other. The Doctor smiled instinctively at it, and crouched down, holding his hand out to try and get it to come over. The dog’s ears perked up curiously and it took a hesitant step towards the Master. There was a cruel laugh from where the guards were, and then one of the guns went off, shooting three bullets into the dog. The sound of the bullet hitting the dog’s body was sickening. The dog was knocked to the ground from the impact of the first bullet, the next two bullets jolting the corpse.

“No!” The Doctor yelled, rushing to the dog’s side and crouching next to it. Its matted fur was wet with warm blood, and the Doctor felt his hands shaking as they came away red. He slumped forward a little, closing his eyes as he felt his hearts break at the heartlessness of it all. He would have expected it from the Master maybe, but he’d thought the humans would be better.

There was a tug on the chain and a mocking laugh from the Master, “Come on Doctor, you’re going to get fleas from that thing.” 

That’s when the Doctor finally exploded. He whirled around, yelling and launching himself into the shorter timelord and sending him sprawling. The Doctor managed to get a few seconds where he was on top and grasping the Master’s face with his bloody hands before the Master recovered from his shock and shoved the Doctor off, grabbing him roughly by the neck and slamming his head down onto the pavement. Doctor felt the whole world blur as his head erupted in pain. He opened his mouth to cry out, but couldn’t hear his own voice.

With his woozy vision, he saw the Master draw back, panic in his eyes. He turned to shout at the guards, but the Doctor couldn’t hear over the ringing in his ears. The Master turned back to the Doctor and began shaking him gently, mouthing his name. But the Doctor couldn’t hear, and his vision was starting to go black as well. The last glimpse of the Master he saw before he slipped into the darkness of unconsciousness was of his face contorted in fear and panic. 

I suppose he does still care.

That was the last thought before the Doctor woke up in a small clean cot with a strange woman standing over him. The Doctor jerked up with surprise, and a bolt of agonizing pain shot through his skull. 

“Oh…” The Doctor groaned, wincing and squeezing his eyes shut. He felt gentle hands lean him back down until his head was laying against the soft pillow again.

“Easy there. We don’t want you regenerating now, do we?” The female voice said calmly, but not warmly. 

“What…?” The Doctor asked, still wincing with pain. How did she know about timelords? 

“The Master said you were very close. He’ll be glad to hear you’re awake, I’m sure.” The woman said.

Of course. The timelords were no secret to humans now, their whole planet was dictated by one, after all. 

“What happened?” The Doctor croaked.

“The Master won’t tell me what caused the injury, but when they brought you to me, you had a serious concussion and had passed out. There was also a yellow light coming from your hands,” He felt her touch his hand gently, “Apparently, that’s a sign of regeneration starting, yes?”

“Yeah.” The Doctor said, shifting his hand away from her.

“Well, it’s not there anymore, it faded away pretty quickly. And while that seems like good progress, I’m going to need you to stay relaxed and laying down.” The woman patted the Doctor’s shoulder gently. 

The Doctor didn’t reply, but he opened his eyes. The woman had a long, tan face with small, intelligent eyes. She was wearing a doctor’s coat and a small fake smile.

“I’ll fetch the Master now. You just rest, ok?” She said. Though her words were gentle, he could see no compassion in her eyes, just cold suspicion. She waited for a moment for him to respond, but when he didn’t she gave one last plastic smile before turning and striding out of the room. 

The Doctor closed his eyes, dread festering inside him at the thought of seeing the Master again. The Master was in control of the entire Earth, but he couldn’t even control himself. Just remembering the way the Master had panicked after he’d almost killed him made the Doctor feel sick. 

The sound of the door opening almost made the Doctor open his eyes, but he decided to keep them closed as he heard the Master’s footsteps approaching. Maybe the Master would leave him alone if he pretended to be asleep.

“It looks like he’s resting…” The woman said quietly. Her voice sounded scared, and the Doctor couldn’t blame her.

“Oh piss off.” The Master said, and the Doctor heard him walk up to his bedside. The Doctor tried his very best to remain relaxed, to breathe evenly and not twitch a muscle.

The Master jabbed him sharply in the gut and the Doctor gasped, opening his eyes and jerking his head up. It felt as though his skull had been split open, and immediately, he felt the cool hands of the woman guiding him back down to the bed. He let out a loud groan of pain and felt tears spring up behind his shut eyelids.

“Get away from him!” He heard the Master shout, and a loud smack. The Doctor opened his eyes to see the woman clutching her face and the Master’s palm reddening from a hard slap. 

“Stop it.” The Doctor said, his voice barely louder than a whisper and full of pain.

The Master whirled around to look at him, and the Doctor saw the mad rage blazing in the shorter timelord’s eyes. Then the Master grinned, as if he’d completely forgotten about the woman he’d just slapped. Her cheek was painfully red now, and after glancing between the Master and the Doctor suspiciously, she scurried out of the room. 

“Oh, you know how doctors are, Doctor.” The Master said, stepping back towards the Doctor. If he could, the Doctor would have shifted as far away as he could from the Master, “They never know what they’re supposed to do.” He was leaning over the Doctor now, as if he were about to kiss him. 

“You almost killed me, Master.” The Doctor said, his voice was weak, but the anger in his eyes was hard to miss, “Your brutes killed an innocent dog and you just laughed.”

The Master leaned closer until he was kissing the Doctor. The Doctor kept his eyes open, scowling at the Master and not kissing back. He’d been delusional about the Master long enough. 

The Master pulled back after a while and traced the Doctor’s face possessively, “You let a mutt get in between us, Doctor. We both did stupid things. It all evens out.” His breath was hot on the Doctor’s face, and the Doctor couldn’t help but shiver.

“It doesn’t even out.” The Doctor said weakly, his voice shaking with emotion, “Your men shot the dog, but you were the reason it was starving. You were the reason it was crawling with fleas and ticks. You’ve done more damage than you could ever make up for.” 

The Master shook his head, his eyes bright, “It’s the drums Doctor. You said you’d help me, but you haven’t.” He said, “How can you blame me for this if you know I can’t help it? You’re as much to blame as me.” The Master spat, and the Doctor found himself at a loss for words as he stared into those mad eyes.

The Master smirked and leaned in so close that their noses brushed, “You know it Doctor. Deep down, the truth is there.” He whispered. His words grated against the Doctor’s hearts, and the Doctor felt a sort of terror as he tried to reject the Master’s words. The Master kissed the Doctor once more, gently, before straightening up and sauntering out of the room. 

The Doctor watched him leave, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.


	6. Chapter 6: Martha

When Martha first woke up, it was to the sound of the  _ Valiant  _ landing. Martha didn’t know why the Master’s ship was parked on the Earth, but immediately, she began plotting. 

_ Get Jack. _

_ Kill the Master. _

_ Save the Doctor. _

_ Get the TARDIS. _

All of the plans that she came up did some or all of these things. The only constant was:

_ Get out. _

That was the only thing that mattered. The other parts could happen over time. But they could only happen if Martha got out first. The Master underestimated her, he always had, and now with one hand, she must seem broken to him. Martha smirked as she lay in bed, watching the camera in her cell. He knew nothing. 

Eventually, Martha fell into a fitful sleep. She didn’t know how long she slept, but she was pulled from her dreams by the sound of her cell door being unlocked. Her eyes snapped open and immediately she was sitting up, her wide eyes falling on Lina.

Her back was to Martha as she closed the cell door quietly, but as soon as she turned around, Martha couldn’t help but let out a small gasp. Lina’s eyes were red from tears and her face was burning red.

“What happened?” Martha asked, getting to her feet and rushing to Lina.

“I- The Master hit me.” Lina said, ducking her head down and wiping the tears away, “I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” Her voice was calm and she was being strong, but Martha could tell she was upset.

Martha pursed her lips. She knew how it felt the first few times. The Master was a loose cannon- one moment he’d be laughing, the next he’d be so angry you’d think he’d kill someone. It was worse for his wife and the women he liked to keep. They always were sporting  a  swollen lips or bruised necks. Martha shivered and put her hand on Lina’s back.

“Are you ok?” She asked, and the tall woman nodded, straightening her doctor’s jacket and composing herself, “Good.” Martha said, smiling slightly.

Lina let out a shaky sigh before smiling at Martha, “Now then, would you mind sitting down for me Martha? We’ve got to keep those bandages fresh.” Her voice was professional and gentle now.

Martha nodded, the little smile of glee plastered on her face as she sat down. She watched Lina closely as the older woman focused on pulling supplies out of her kit. When Lina finally looked over, it was with confusion.

“Well you seem to be in a good mood…” Lina said, smiling curiously and warily. 

Martha glanced at the camera for a split second. She’d already checked- there was no microphone or recording device on it. Not in these dingy cells.

“Lina, do you want to go back to Earth?” Martha asked, her eyes gleaming.

Lina frowned, “What?” She let out a little forced chuckle, “Martha, what are you going on about?”

“We’ve landed on Earth haven’t we? This is the perfect time. I’ve been planning it ever since he caught me Lina, and we need to act now.” Martha kept her voice positive and excited, but she watched Lina carefully. It was hard to say how people would react under a tyrant. Even the decent people could be dangerous. 

Lina smiled politely and shook her head as she looked down at her tool kit, “You’re insane. There’s no way out of here, and trying to escape would mean death.” Lina said, her voice becoming higher pitched as she grew agitated, “Now I suggest you stop talking this nonsense-”

Martha laid a firm and steady hand on Lina’s, locking eyes with the older woman, “You’re married, yes?” Martha nodded down to Lina’s hand. A wedding band with a tiny diamond was on her ring finger.

“Yes. Henry.” Lina said softly, her eyes full of a pained sadness.

“Is he still alive?” Martha asked.

Lina looked down, “I don’t know. The toclafane forced me to leave them three years ago.” She said with a wavering voice.

“Them? So you’ve got children too?” Martha pressed gently.

Lina nodded as she bit lip, “Yes. My son Joseph. He’d be 15 by now.” Tears began welling in her small eyes and Martha put her arm around her comfortingly.

“It’s hard, I know. My whole family’s on Earth, and I think they’re in trouble.” Martha said, frowning slightly as she spoke, “But I know I could save them if I could get to them. I think I could help a great deal of people on Earth if I could just get  _ out  _ of here.”

Lina looked at Martha closely, her tear encrusted eyes full of suspicion, “You really think so?”

Martha looked at the woman with certainty, “Yes.” 

“But how?”

“I know timelords better than any human out there, and I know humans pretty well too, considering I spent a year walking the Earth for them. I know what we need to kill the Master, and if I can get to the Earth, I’ll help humanity save themselves.”

“So you intend to kill the Master, really.” Lina said, her eyes focused on the bandages she was unrolling. 

“Yes I do.” Martha said with resolve. It wasn’t some lie like before. She knew she could do it- she had to do it. She’d tried to save the world the Doctor’s way, but now it was time to do it the right way. 

Lina glanced up and nodded, “Tell me your plan. I want to get off this ship.” She walked over and began taking off Martha’s old bandages.

Martha started talking, tilting her head away from the camera so they couldn’t see her mouth moving. Lina caught on pretty quickly and didn’t show any sign she’d heard any of it, she just put the fresh bandages on slowly. 

When Martha had finally finished relating her plan, Lina gave a slight nod and began packing up her materials, “Tonight then.” She said softly.

Martha started to nod but froze as she heard footsteps approaching. Lina stiffened as she heard them too, and finished packing her salves and tools.

“I’m sorry you were feeling so irritated, it must have been the cream I used yesterday.” Lina said as the footsteps stopped in front of the door. Martha couldn’t help but admire how calm and normal Lina sounded when she acted. The sound of the key sliding into the lock made Martha’s heart pound, but Lina was excellent at keeping a straight face and continuing to talk like nothing was wrong.

“Hopefully that cream will be better-” Lina stopped talking as the door opened and the Master sauntered inside. Even Lina couldn’t hide her surprise and fear.

_ Oh fuck _ . Martha felt her heart hammering in her head. There had been a microphone on the camera, and he’d just heard her entire plan. He smirked down at her lazily, not giving her much room to stand.

“Hello Martha Jones. How do you like it?” He asked, nodding to her bandaged stump. 

Martha was too terrified to feel anger, and the Master chuckled as she failed to react,

“So that’s it then? Just one hand and you’re a meek little mouse?” The Master said, his grin widening as Martha continued to stare at him with fear. She could have sworn there was no microphone on the camera- no way for the Master to listen- unless he’d planted the microphone somewhere else in the room… 

Martha’s blood turned cold as the realization hit her.

“Oh the Doctor’s going to love this.” The Master said with sick glee. He stepped back, giving Martha room to stand. Martha didn’t at first. This was it. She was going to die, or she was going to have another hand burned off. 

“Come on then. Let’s go pay your precious Doctor a little visit.” The Master said in a soft voice, cruel glee glinting in his eyes.

Martha’s eyes flicked to Lina. The poor woman was pressed up against the wall, her eyes were wide with fear and she was completely fixated on the Master. Martha wanted to shout at her to get out while she could, but as Martha rose to her feet slowly, the Master turned and looked at Lina.

“You come too.” The Master said, jabbing a finger at Lina. The two women glanced at each other with terror before following the Master out of the cell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy I just figured out how to format things on this website, so this chapter is extra fancy. Thank you to everyone who's been reading and commenting! Y'all are amazing and make me want to write so much of this fanfic! Next update will be on the 16th.


	7. Chapter 7: Martha

The Master led them to the second floor rooms, guards flanking Martha and Lina on all sides. This part of the  _ Valiant  _ was more like a hotel than anything else. Or it would have been before the Master lived in it for over a year. Martha was fairly certain that the Master had his bedchambers somewhere on this floor, since clothes were scattered around the hall along with strange mechanical and mystical looking devices. Martha noticed shadows under the doors they passed, as if there were people listening on the other side.

Martha couldn’t suppress a shiver as they made their way down the eerie hallway. At the end of the hall was a set of double doors. The Master grabbed both of the brass handles and pushed them open dramatically. The sound of the doors clashing against the walls echoed throughout the hall full of silent people. 

The room was probably some sort of dining room originally. It had floor to ceiling windows and decorated very elegantly. In the center of the room, a huge bed was set up with luxurious blankets and furs draped over it. There was a ring of clean floor space around the bed, but the rest of the room was chaos. Books that looked to be hundreds of years old were scattered on the ground with pages bent. There were artifacts piled precariously on top of one another and things that were obviously not from Earth in various stages of disrepair. 

The room was so cluttered that Martha almost didn’t see the people. She saw the Master’s wife, Lucy, first. She was hidden behind a stack of strange pressed plants. Her eye was black and her whole pale body was shaking. She was wearing a simple dress, but despite it, she looked naked and vulnerable.

The Master was walking towards a second bed, though this one was a hospital bed. Martha felt the blood leave her face as she realized the broken thing in the hospital bed was the Doctor. 

His head was bandaged so much she was sure there was some sort of severe cranial damage going on. His face was much paler than normal. In fact, he looked close to death. 

“What did you do to him?” Martha breathed, horror consuming her voice.

The Master glared at her, “It’s his own fault.”

Martha very much doubted that, but her attention moved to the Doctor as he opened his eyes and looked at her. She felt her heart catch in her throat when she saw those eyes. For the first time in months, she saw something other than a husk of a man. For once, the Doctor’s eyes were full of raw pain and anger and guilt, and despite being so close to death, he looked the most alive that Martha had seen him in a long time.

“Where’s Jack?” The Doctor asked. His voice was incredibly weak and raspy. The Master rolled his eyes and patted the Doctor on the cheek.

“I sent the freak back to his cell. I wasn’t going to let you have a threesome with them.”

The Doctor frowned slightly at the Master’s remark and looked up at the time lord, “Are you going to leave us alone?”

The Master glanced back at Martha cheekily, “Don’t be too rough with him, his head’s about to split open.” He gave her a wink which she shivered at before motioning Lina and all the guards out of the room, “You have five minutes.” The Master said before closing the doors.

Martha turned to the Doctor as the doors slammed. The two looked at each other as the silence began weighing them down. This was just like when the Doctor’s plan had failed and Martha was in that tiny cage. Except worse. Before Martha was too focused on her own discomfort and pain to feel angry with the Doctor. Before, Martha didn’t have a plan. Now she had anger and hope. And he had none.

“How…” The Doctor stopped after the first word, eyeing her cautiously, “How are you?”

“How do you think?” She asked. Her arms were crossed as she continued to stand. 

“Martha I’m sorry…” 

“What’s going on Doctor?” Martha cut him off quickly. She didn’t need to hear an excuse or an apology from him. 

“I asked the Master if I could see you and Jack.” The Doctor said simply. He was staring at her with those sad brown eyes, as if he’d accepted she wouldn’t be forgiving him any time soon.

Martha felt premature relief flood through her before she could stop it. Maybe she hadn’t just killed Lina and herself. Martha shook her head slightly; she couldn’t be sure yet, “But why would he do that?”

“After he hurt you, I was angry with him. I refused to cooperate and do what he wanted. I think he’s been trying to win me over, that’s why he landed the  _ Valiant _ , you know. Because he thought I’d like to walk on the Earth again.”

“And?” Martha asked. She could feel the anger creeping into her voice, “What did you think?”

The Doctor looked away from her, “I’m sorry Martha.”

Martha shook her head and strode up to the bed, grabbing his arm fiercely, “Oh come off it.” She hissed, gripping him tightly, “That’s absolute rubbish. You let this happen, and you’re just  _ giving up _ ? You’re the Doctor and you’re this planet’s beacon of hope whether you like it or not.”

The Doctor looked at her with those pathetic sad eyes. She could see the defeat in those ancient eyes, “I’ve been trying. I can’t think of any way…”

“Because you don’t want to do what needs to be done.” Martha said, her voice full of disgust, “You’d rather let every last human die then do it.”

The Doctor’s eyes snapped to her, a flash of anger behind them, “It’s wrong. I can’t Martha, you wouldn’t understand.”

The doors burst open, but Martha just stared at the Doctor with disbelief. She quickly let go of the Doctor’s arm with disgust and took a step back.

“Of course you think I wouldn’t.” She said, shaking her head and staring at the time lord she used to love with disappointment. The silence in the room didn’t last long as the Master started making crude suggestions about their “five minutes in heaven”, but Martha’s glare was unwavering through it all. She only broke her eye contact when the Master started talking to Lina.

“Go on, you’re a doctor aren’t you? Attend to him.” The Master said, nodding to the Doctor before catching Martha’s eye. 

He smirked at her before motioning for the guards to take Martha away. Martha managed to catch Lina’s eyes before being shepherded out by the guards, and she could see the fear was gone. She must have figured out by now that the Master’s visit was pure coincidence. 

As the guards led her down the hall of mysterious doors, Martha couldn’t help but feel relieved despite her conversation with the Doctor. They were still on for tonight. The plan was still in motion and both Martha and Lina were still alive. The guards shut her in the cell and Martha took a seat on the edge of the cot. Now the wait began.

Boredom had been a common companion to Martha ever since she’d been captured by the Master again. Back in the good days, Martha remembered the most boredom she’d experienced lasted for an hour or two, tops. Her phone always had a game on it that she liked to play when there was nothing else to do. But here, there was nothing. 

It was much better compared to being in the suspended cage for days on end- Martha had made a routine of exercising in her more spacious cell- but there was only so many sit ups a person could do before that was boring too.

So Martha went through her exercise routine as she waited, working around the limitation of one hand as best as she could. Once she’d finished, she was out of breath, sweaty and still hours away from the initiation of the plan. Martha slumped back against the frame of the bed, letting out a huff of annoyance. She was so close to getting out, it made waiting almost unbearable.

She watched the digital clock over the door longingly until the minute hand had changed 23 times. That was the last thing she remembered before falling into a fitful sleep. She had shadows of dreams, but they all came crashing to a halt when her cell door slammed. Her eyes snapped open to see the dark figure of the Master standing in the doorway.

Martha immediately began to scramble to her feet, but the Master pulled out his laser screwdriver, “No. Stay down.” 

She slowly sat back on the floor, eyeing the weapon warily. She didn’t speak as the Master tucked the screwdriver away in the dark. The silence between them draped the entire room in tension. Even in the dark, she could feel his eyes on her, just staring. After a few minutes of this, Martha found herself shivering and drawing her legs up closer to her chest. She didn’t dare speak, didn’t dare break the silence. Not without knowing why he was here.

Finally, the Master took a few steps away from the door and leaned against the bare metal wall. 

“You won’t get him back.” He finally said. Something in his voice was different. He wasn’t smug or boasting like he usually was. He was talking plainly and without motive.

When no reply came from Martha, he continued talking, “And you won’t ever get him to hurt me. It’s one of his flaws. He’s always had a soft spot for me. He’d let every last one of you burn before he’d kill me.”

Martha shivered again, her heart racing as she stared at the Master’s silhouette. She couldn’t see his face under the veil of darkness, but he was talking as if every word was an undeniable fact. She remembered being so infatuated with that sort of confidence and wisdom when the Doctor showed it. The Master even sounded like him now; his voice was pensive and calm. But Martha only felt fear now. Fear and disgust. 

“Someday you’ll burn, Martha Jones. Not yet. But you will someday.” He paused, tilting his head slightly, “And the Doctor will let you burn.”

Martha felt a cold sweat break out. It was obvious he’d listened in to her conversation with the Doctor earlier, but she couldn’t tell if he knew about her plan with Lina. It was all too coincidental. 

The two lapsed into silence once more, and the Master absently tapped on the cell wall with his fingers while his head tilted towards the ceiling. Four fast taps, the hypnotic beat he’d seduced the world with, the torturous beat that drove his every move. Even now, she had the urge to tap along.

Martha watched the Master intensely, but he seemed to be worlds away as he leaned against her cell door. Her eyes flicked to the red digital clock, her stomach twisting as she realized it was only 15 minutes before Lina was supposed to show up. She needed to get rid of the Master, and quickly.

“Do you love him?” She asked, making her voice as strong as she could.

The Master snapped his head down, and she felt his eyes on her once more, “No.” 

“You’re lying.” Martha replied, matching his calm tone, “I remember how you’d come to him those nights. It was like you forgot I was even there in that cage. You’d leave your comfortable bed with your wife and all your slaves and sit on the stairs with him.”

The Master didn’t reply for a moment, but when he spoke next, Martha could hear the anger rising in his voice, “Time lords have lives that span for thousands of years. An insect like you could never comprehend our lives or our relationships.”

“It’s not that difficult to tell that you want him.” Martha said, choosing her words carefully. She just wanted him angry enough that he’d leave her cell, not burn off another body part, “You’re always trying to kiss him. You could have easily had him like all those poor women you force, but you’re waiting.”

The Master let out a noise that sounded like a snort of disgust and a snicker. He pushed himself off the wall and jerked the door handle open, “Mark my words. There will come a day where he’ll have a choice.” He stood there for a moment, looking back at her smugly, “And he’ll let you burn, Martha Jones.” He stepped out into the bright hallway, the door locking behind him.

With that, Martha was left alone in the dark, with six minutes left to spare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the AMAZING feedback so far!! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, the next one will be on the 18th


	8. Chapter 8: Doctor

The Doctor frowned as he watched Martha leave. She was up to something, he could tell. While he wanted to be proud of her, he couldn’t help but remember her words. Martha would kill the Master without hesitation given the chance. He’d seen it in her eyes. 

The Doctor’s eyes flicked to the Master, who was ordering one of his guards around. The only other time lord in existence and his oldest friend. The Master must have felt the Doctor’s eyes on him because he turned and locked eyes with him. The Doctor continued to frown as they stared at each other- he felt as if he were being ripped apart as he tried to decide whether to warn the Master.

The Master sauntered over, a smirk playing around his lips as he leaned against the Doctor’s cot. The guards gave each other looks before quickly filing out of the room. The only person left was the human doctor the Master had brought in. She just stood there awkwardly, watching as the Master began running his hand down the Doctor’s arm. She obviously hadn’t gotten the hint like the guards.

The Doctor shivered slightly, “What are you doing?” He asked as the Master’s hand cupped his face gently. 

He paused for a moment, his eyes sparkling yet calculating, “Comforting a friend.”

“You did this to me.” The Doctor reminded him firmly.

“Yes,” The Master said, drawing back a little and smiling, “But I was provoked. You should know better, Doctor.”

His frown deepened, “Would it kill you to apologize for once?” The Doctor asked.

“I still haven’t gotten my apology.” The Master said, his eyes flashing with amusement. 

“What would I even apologize for?” The Doctor asked indignantly, “You’re the one with the power here!”

At those words, the Master’s smile grew into a grin. He leaned down until he was level with the Doctor’s face, “I do have all the power, but you’ve been a naughty little thing. Very rude of you to tackle me in front of all my guards.” The Master paused, “If you’d done that when we were alone, it would have been a different story. It’d be like old times, except better.” The Master winked playfully at the Doctor, who looked away uncomfortably, “But you humiliated me in front of my subordinates. If I hadn’t punished you, then I wouldn’t have the power would I?” The Master said softly as he grabbed the Doctor’s chin and gently moved his face so the injured time lord had no choice but to look him in the eyes.

The Doctor stared into those eyes, and he understood. The Master could be impulsive, yes, but he ultimately did everything for a reason, even if his methods were extreme. 

“You didn’t need to almost kill me, Master.” The Doctor said, “I almost regenerated for Christ’s sake.” 

His voice didn’t have nearly as much resolve as it did earlier. He felt like he was falling into a spiral staring into those eyes sometimes. It didn’t matter which body the Master had- he’d always had a hypnotic air about him.

“That… was a mistake,” he said. The Master’s face was so close to the Doctor’s that he could feel his hot breath on his face, “I didn’t mean to hit your head so hard.”

The two time lords stared at each other, and in that moment it was as if everything else including the human doctor in the room had disappeared. The Doctor could only see the Master and his stubborn eyes. Finally, the Master blinked. He held the Doctor’s face with one hand, 

“I’m sorry for almost killing you. Is that what you want to hear you righteous prick?” He said, genuine annoyance in his eyes, even as he cradled the Doctor’s face.

The Doctor couldn’t help but let out a weak chuckle at the unexpectedness of it all, “It’s a start, at least.”

He smiled at the Doctor’s laugh, and for the first time in ages, it felt good to have the Master there. The two time lords looked at each other like that for a moment, the warm feeling between friends before the Master slowly leaned forwards. 

Their lips touched, and the Doctor felt a jolt of heat in his hearts as he let himself kiss the Master back. The Doctor blinked with surprise at the realization, and then felt a pang of guilt immediately. He pulled away as best he could, but his shifting was enough for the Master to draw back and look at him with confusion.

“What?” The Master said, eyes full of frustration.

The Doctor felt his mouth go dry and his hearts twist together. What could he say? If the Master knew, he’d kill Martha. 

“It’s not right Master.” The Doctor said, looking away from the Master. His eyes searched for the human doctor, but she’d already politely left the room. So he just stared off behind the Master. 

“No. Don’t tell me that didn’t feel right.” The Master snapped, slamming his hands down against the frame of the Doctor’s cot. The whole frame rattled and the Doctor winced with pain as his head was jostled.

“You’re hurting me-” The Doctor managed to say weakly.

“ _ Just shut up!” _ The Master shouted, kicking the leg of the cot before spinning around and beginning to pace. The Doctor let out a groan of pain. His head felt like it were splitting in two.

“You always act so above everything.” The Master muttered angrily before turning to glare at the Doctor, “You’re not, you know. You’re not above me and you never have been.”

“Master…”

The Master held up a hand as he motioned for silence. The Doctor watched as he crossed the room and grabbed a small wooden box. As the Master brought it closer, the Doctor saw the top of the box was carved with Gallifreyan words. The Master’s family name. The Doctor recognized the box now from the Master’s house back on Gallifrey. The Master’s father had always had beautiful things and the box was no exception. The carved name on top had dark crystals inlaid to the wood, and even after hundreds of years, the polished wood still gleamed brightly like gold.

The Master had stolen it from his father and the two children had used the beautiful box as a treasure chest. The treasure was usually dead beetles with bright, beautiful shells or small things the children managed to steal from the Master’s house. Those fleeting days of freedom had been some of the fondest the Doctor could recall, and just seeing the box again made the Doctor’s hearts swell.

The Master didn’t even look up at the Doctor as he pressed his finger into the groove where the lock should have been. The box was designed only to open to blood relatives of the Master’s family. There was a familiar click from inside before the lid popped open.

The Doctor craned his neck as much as he could, eager to see what nostalgia was hidden away in there, but the Master kept the contents of the box out of the Doctor’s sight. The Master smirked as he riffled through the box’s contents and glanced up at the Doctor,

“Do you remember what I used it for after we were too old to play pirates?”

The Doctor frowned, “Of course I do. You would steal my things and lock them in the box just to upset me.”

  
The Master laughed before holding up a small notebook, “I remember this one in particular made you livid.”

Despite himself, the Doctor felt his cheeks turn hot with embarrassment, “Is that-”

“The epic love poem you wrote to that girl you fancied.” The Master said, grinning giddily as he flipped through it.

“Gods! I wrote a whole book didn’t I?” The Doctor said with amazement, watching the heavily inked pages flip by.

“The crush only lasted a few months too. You were worthless with romance.” The Master said.

“It was only that short because you took the poem before I could give it to her and it crushed my spirit.” The Doctor grumbled.

The Master didn’t listen, instead he let out a bellowing laugh as he read a specific passage.

The Doctor groaned as the Master cleared his throat and began to read,   


“ _ My hearts quiver when my gaze falls upon your fair and smooth arms. _

_ They gleam under the glow of the red suns which are like a drop of angel’s blood. _

_ I would like it if you would wrap those magnificent arms around me in a lovers’ embrace. _

_ Being secured between those arms is all I could ever need to live.” _

The Master couldn’t even finish reading the whole thing without doubling over with laughter. The Doctor started off by frowning disapprovingly with his arms crossed, but seeing the Master’s face get redder and redder as he continued to laugh got the Doctor chuckling. Then thinking about the letter made the Doctor laugh even more and soon both time lords were laughing uncontrollably, tears springing into their eyes and sides aching.

The Master was the first to calm down, wiping tears from his eyes as he cackled, “Oh Doctor, that’s just about as sexual as it gets. Being secured by gleaming pale arms, how romantic, how  _ scandalous _ .”

The Doctor let out another hearty laugh, “You weren’t much better though, were you? I remember you refused to talk to that girl when you told her about your plans to take over the universe and she giggled.”

The Master frowned, “That wasn’t nearly as bad as yours. She insulted me!”

“I’d spent months convincing her to go on that date with you.” The Doctor said, “You had a crush on her for years, and all it took to get over her was one slip up on her part.”

The Master shrugged, “Why waste time on something when you can tell you don’t like it?”

“Because things change. People change.” The Doctor replied almost immediately. The humor evaporated from the room, leaving a strange tension behind.

The Master looked at the Doctor, his eyes impossible to read. Finally, he spoke,

“You haven’t changed.”

The Doctor frowned, “I have.”

“No, you haven’t. Not really. You’re still the same as when we were kids. You’re an insufferable romantic, and you’re a coward- always running.”

The Doctor’s expression went cold, “I’ve seen and done things that have changed me for life, Master. Just because I hold myself to the same values I had as a child doesn’t mean I’m the same.”

The Master’s cunning eyes looked at the Doctor, boring into his soul, “Maybe the changes come in small ways, but you’re always the same Doctor. And I knew from the beginning that you were worth spending time with.”

The Doctor couldn’t help but feel touched by the Master’s words, and he slowly moved his hand until it was holding the Master’s.

“Small changes can make a big difference.” He said, looking at the Master sadly. How he longed for those small changes that would make the Master more compassionate.

He looked down at the Doctor’s hand clasping his with mild surprise before meeting the Doctor’s eyes once more, “I could get used to this change.” He said, smirking at their intertwined hands.

The Doctor smiled weakly before slowly taking his hand away, “Master… I have something you need to know.” He said gravely. 

“What?” The Master said, looking at the Doctor suspiciously. 

The Doctor took a deep breath, “You need to be careful with Martha. I think… she intends to kill you.”

The Master snorted, “I noticed. I haven’t exactly been kind to her recently if you didn’t know.”

The Doctor frowned with frustration, “Just… be careful will you? Don’t just brush this off.”

The Master rolled his eyes and stood up, “I’m not like one of your companions, Doctor. I’m competent and I don’t need my hand held.”

Before the Doctor could say anything else, the Master opened the doors and ushered the human doctor back into the room. 

“I must have really hit you hard Doctor,” The Master said, smirking, “You haven’t been acting yourself lately.” He said before leaving and slamming the doors behind him. The Doctor felt his heart sink as he realized what he’d just done. He’d compromised whatever Martha had been planning. And for what? The Master was right. He wasn’t weak or stupid. Even if Martha tried to kill the Master without the Doctor sabotaging her, the Doctor doubted she’d be able to.

As the woman approached the Doctor, he couldn’t help but let out a groan of regret. The woman didn’t even pause, she just began checking the Doctor’s head with gentle yet sure hands. Her touch was light and skilled. The Doctor would have felt comforted if he weren’t so guilt-ridden.

After she’d finished examining his head, the woman drew back and looked at him calmly, “My name is Doctor Alverez, by the way.”

“The Doctor. Pleasure to meet you.” The Doctor said grimly. 

Dr. Alverez nodded and continued to check his vision and pupils before casually saying, “So you’re like the Master then.”

He frowned before understanding what she was saying, “Yes, I’m a time lord. We’re the last two, actually.”

Dr. Alverez nodded, as if he’d just told her his favorite ice cream flavor- not that he was a member of an extinct alien species. She continued to test the way his facial muscles moved, his sense of smell and other senses that could have been damaged.

“You two seem close.” Dr. Alverez commented as she finally finished checking his head and moved onto his bruised body. Her expression was calm, but the Doctor could see caution and curiosity in her eyes.

The Doctor frowned and looked up at her, “That’s a tad unprofessional, don’t you think?”

She smiled politely, “I’m sorry if I offended you Doctor. I’m only trying to make conversation.” 

He sighed as she started lifting his shirt to bandage some of his cuts, “Of course you are. Yes, we’re close. We go back a long time.” He said curtly.

Dr. Alverez nodded as she cleaned a scrape on his elbow, “I see. Let me know if anything hurts, alright?” She said calmly, and he nodded.

She worked in silence for a few minutes before, “So you’re the one that Martha Jones told everyone about, yes?”

“Yes.” He said, his frown remaining. He already felt guilty enough, he didn’t need to be reminded of his failed attempt to save humanity as well. 

“She said you were protecting humanity before the Master came.” She said, pulling his shirt back down gently.

“Have you met Martha?” He asked. Dr. Alverez nodded, and the Doctor sighed, “She’s incredible isn’t she?”

“She’s quite resilient.” She said diplomatically. 

The Doctor eyed her for a moment, “Could you give her a message for me?” 

Dr. Alverez locked eyes with the Doctor. He could see the surprise on her face for a moment before she recovered, “Uh, yes. Yes, I could do that.”

“Tell her that it’s not going to work.” The Doctor said. 

The woman’s face turned pale, “What’s not going to work?”

The Doctor felt a shiver starting to form at the base of his neck, “Are you working with her?”

Dr. Alverez stared at the Doctor, her eyes cold and guarded, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The Doctor scowled, “Oh come on. You already gave it away.” He lowered his voice until it was nothing but a whisper, “You and Martha are going to try to kill the Master, and I’m telling you it won’t work.”

“How do you know that?” She hissed back, her small eyes ablaze.

“I told him to watch out for Martha.” The Doctor whispered back, his hearts sinking as she gave him a look of disgust.

“Why would you do that? Aren’t you supposed to be our savior?” She looked at him for a moment with loathing before quickly turning and packing up, “I’ve got to warn her.”

“Keep her safe.” The Doctor said softly as the woman began frantically shoving equipment back in her bag.

“She doesn’t need my help with that.” Dr. Alverez said as she zipped up the bag, “She’s the strongest person I’ve ever met.” She looked at the Doctor angrily for one second before turning and storming out of the room, slamming the doors behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I'm a little behind on my writing because my work is very physically demanding and I don't have a lot of energy to write when I get home. So the next update will be on the 23! Thank you all for following along!


	9. Chapter 9: Martha

Lina was two minutes early when she unlocked the door to Martha’s cell, and when Martha saw the look on her face, she felt her blood go cold. Something was wrong. 

“The Doctor told the Master.” Lina said, trying to catch her breath.

“What?” Martha scowled, “I didn’t even tell him!”

“He must have figured it out when you two were talking.” Lina said gravely, and Martha started swearing.

“What do we do now?” Lina asked as Martha covered her face with her hands. 

For a few seconds, Martha didn’t reply. A part of her wished she could just keep cradling her head in her hands forever, but she pushed that part of her away as she felt Lina’s gentle touch on her shoulder. This wasn’t just about her anymore. This was about Lina and her family, and most importantly, this was about saving the human race.

Martha straightened up and let out a deep breath, “Alright. We need to focus on getting out. Scrap the rest of the plan. Jack can wait and the Doctor can go fuck himself. If we can get out, we’ll have a real chance of killing the Master later.”

Lina nodded, “I think you’re right. So the escape part of the plan is the same?”

“Right. That’s the only part we can’t change.” Martha said, pushing past Lina and walking quickly down the corridor. Lina followed quickly. Martha’s steps were light as she navigated through the  _ Valiant _ , all of her senses on edge for something out of the ordinary. Lina was considerably less talented when it came to stealth. She followed behind Martha awkwardly, her flats clicking against the metal floor so much that Martha had to motion for her to take off her shoes.

The two women reached the elevator that would take them to the ground level of the  _ Valiant  _ fairly quickly and without obstacles. This was the part of the plan that Martha had been feeling sick to her stomach over as they crept through the belly of the  _ Valiant _ . Anybody could be waiting in the elevator, and anybody could see that someone was using the elevator to get to the ground floor in the middle of the night. Stairs weren’t an option because the Master hadn’t designed the  _ Valiant  _ with them. The elevator was the only way to get out of this hell hole. 

Lina held a scalpel in her hand and Martha brandished a pair of sharp scissors as the two waited for the elevator to open. There was a soft ding that seemed to echo throughout the dead ship before the sleek doors slid open. After Martha was sure the elevator was empty, she darted it in, Lina shuffling in after her. The doors closed slowly, and a creepy upbeat song began playing as the metal box descended.

“Stay behind me when the doors open.” Martha said softly as the elevator slowed and came to a rest. Lina nodded and shuffled behind Martha as the doors started to draw open. Martha had her side pressed against the wall and the scissors gripped in her hand, ready to attack.

But there was nobody there. Martha stepped out into the dark hallway cautiously, leading with the sharp scissors. Lina was gripping onto Martha’s shoulders, as if she were afraid Martha was going to leave her behind.

“Get off.” Martha hissed, jerking her shoulder.

“Sorry.” Lina whispered.

The two crept forward into the dark, when there was a rustling near the elevator. Martha spun around, pushing Lina out of the way and scowling as she stared into the shadows.

“Who’s there?” Martha demanded. The silver scissors were steady in her hand.

A guard stepped forward, and Martha’s eyes flashed dangerously.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to stop you.” The guard said. He was a tall, bald man with small black eyes and a huge, muscular body. He stepped forward, and offered Martha his gun, “I have more for you if you consider my proposition.”

Martha scowled, not moving to take the gun. Eventually, the guard bent down and slid the gun across the floor to her. Martha didn’t pick it up, “What the hell are you talking about?” She snapped.

“Right now, we’re in what’s left of the United States- Florida to be specific. The Master chose this place for a reason. There’s been reports of a rebellion that could be a real threat to the Master, and it all points back to an abandoned labor camp in the everglades.”

Martha nodded to Lina who quickly picked up the gun, “Why are you telling us this?”

The man’s lips pursed, “They say this group has a way to kill the toclafane, which means they’re a real threat to the Master. And I want to live in a world where the Master’s defeated.”

Martha nodded, “Alright. We’ll do our best to warn them. Where’s the labor camp?”

He fumbled around with his vest pockets until he fished out a small folded piece of paper, “Here. You just follow the river north, and you’ll get there eventually.” When she unfolded the map, something slipped out and clattered to the floor, “I almost forgot. Jack said you’d need those.” He said, nodding to the two perception filters on the ground.

Martha grabbed them quickly, feeling a slow smile spread across her face, “You’re working with Jack then?”

The guard shifted from foot to foot, glancing down, “Er- yes. We have a… special relationship.”

Martha snorted, “I’m glad he’s still managing to have a good time.” She said, “Tell him I’m sorry I couldn’t break him out as well.”

He nodded grimly, “He’ll understand ma’am. You two should hurry, though.” With that, he shoved the bag he was carrying to Lina, “Food, medicine, and weapons. Good luck.” 

Martha nodded as he slipped back into the shadows before turning and slamming the button next to the door. It slid open quickly, and the two women dashed out into the sticky, polluted night.


	10. Chapter 10: Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated the tags for this chapter... so make sure you're cool with all that before reading ;)

When the Master came back into the dark room, the Doctor was still crying. It wasn’t the sort of crying that was noticeable in the evening light. His breathing was relatively constant and he didn’t make a sound. But he couldn’t stop the tears that were running down his cheeks or the guilt and dread that was weighing him down.

At first the Master wandered around the room, listening to reports from the toclafane. The Doctor listened closely as the humans of the future described the state of labor camps and how many prisoners were tossed into radiation pits. The Master’s plan hadn’t worked the first time, and the toclafane were growing impatient, like children.

“We need to keep running Master. The darkness is coming- the never ending darkness- we need to keep running-”

On and on they went, the fear and paranoia in their tin voices seeping into even the Doctor’s skin as he listened to them.

Finally, the Master left the room with the toclafane after he’d managed to calm them somewhat. When he came back, he was dragging his wife, Lucy along. Despite her frail and battered appearance, she seemed somewhat happy as the Master tossed her onto the bed. It was as if some part of her still loved him, or at least lusted for him. 

“Please don’t Master.” The Doctor said. His trembling voice gave his crying away and the Master stopped, looking at the Doctor curiously while Lucy lay on the bed, her eyes trained on the Master and her frail hands on his chest. He seemed to consider the situation for a moment before pulling Lucy up and shoving her away from the bed. She stumbled, but managed to run out of the room. He walked over piles of junk until he was beside the Doctor again. Before he could turn his face away, the Master reached down and brushed his fingers against the Doctor’s wet cheeks.

“I wouldn’t have done anything with her in front of you.” The Master said softly. His fingers trailed down the Doctor’s face until they were cupping his chin. Somehow, the Doctor doubted this. 

“Where did you go?” The Doctor demanded, his voice wavering as he stared at the Master.

“What?” The Master asked, obviously caught off guard by the question. 

“After I told you about Martha, where did you go?” 

The Master let his hand drop to the Doctor’s scrawny neck, his fingers lightly tracing down the sensitive skin there. The Doctor shivered slightly, but kept his eyes locked with the Master’s.

“After you told me about Martha, I decided to pay her a visit.” He said softly, smoothing his hand down the Doctor’s bare chest.

“Master-”

The Doctor didn’t even get a whole word out before the Master’s hand wrapped around the Doctor’s neck firmly.

“It’s rude to interrupt.” The Master snapped before he said lazily, “I went down to visit her, and we had a nice little chat.” He smirked and pulled his hand away from the Doctor’s neck and began to walk away.

“What did you do to her?” The Doctor spat.

The Master continued to saunter away. The Doctor wanted to scream at him, make him reply, but he knew it wouldn’t do anything. The Master talked when he wanted to talk. 

He watched as the Master grabbed a large piece of machinery and began meddling with it, using his laser screwdriver. He’d never seen the Master use the screwdriver for anything but violence, it was strange to see him do something besides destroying. As he fiddled with it, he started to speak,

“I already told you, Doctor.” He said, “I just talked to her.”

The Doctor frowned as the piece of machinery sparked, “You’re lying.”

The Master sighed and looked up at the Doctor, “Is it really so hard to believe that I could be good?”

“It’d certainly be a pleasant change of events.” The Doctor said dryly, his voice still full of distrust. 

The Master smirked before going back to working on the piece of metal in his hand. He worked with a purpose, every laser seemed to be for a precise function. He slowly began peeling back metal shells and circuit boards, and as he watched the Master work, the Doctor began to see what the machine was an engine of some sort. The Doctor wasn't sure what kind it was, but it struck him as oddly familiar. 

He was about to ask the Master about it when the Master let out a frustrated grunt and chucked the engine across the room. The Doctor winced as he watched it crash into a pile of rare books and smash a glass orb. 

The Master turned to him, a frustrated grin coming over his face as he approached the Doctor, “Maybe it's time we both get some sleep.” 

The Doctor's eyes widened as the Master threw back the Doctor’s sheets, revealing his completely nude body. 

“Master!” The Doctor exclaimed as he weakly tried to get the covers back over his body to no avail. The Master easily swatted his hands away before sticking his hands under the Doctor’s bare back and thighs and lifting the fragile time lord out of the medical cot. The Doctor winced with pain as the Master walked towards his huge bed, each step jostling his injured head. The Master must have noticed because when he laid the Doctor down, his movements were slow and gentle so the Doctor hardly felt any pain. 

“Master you shouldn't-”

Before he could finish, the Master jerked the covers of the bed back, and the Doctor groaned with pain as his head was jerked down and a splitting headache overcame him. 

As he recovered, the Master watched him sternly until the Doctor looked away from his burning gaze with defeat.

“I'll do whatever I like Doctor.” The Master whispered as he leaned over the Doctor, their faces mere inches apart, “This is  _ my _ world now, and you can't do anything about it.” 

His eyes glittered madly as his hand traced down the Doctor’s chest and belly. The Doctor shivered as his cheeks burned, but the Master’s hand went no further. Instead, he continued to trace around the Doctor’s navel lightly, every time his finger circled lower the Doctor felt a hot jolt of excitement go through his body. The Master was focused on the Doctor’s face, watching as the injured time lord bit his lip and blushed. The Doctor didn't speak, he knew it would only push the Master farther, but as much as he was reluctant to admit, there was a part of him that was enjoying the Master touching him gently. 

The Doctor blushed as he felt himself start hardening, and looked away from the Master with embarrassment. The Master chuckled cruelly and slowly began to run his hands over the Doctor’s hips, inching closer and closer to his groin.

He gasped and bucked his hips up slightly as he felt the Master finally touch him lightly. The Master’s hand moved slowly up and down his shaft, the desire the Doctor felt was almost painful.

The Doctor groaned and leaned his head back gently as jolts of pleasure shot through his body, his mind swept away by the feeling of the Master stroking him. It'd been over a year since the Doctor had felt this way.

As he continued to stroke, the Master leaned down and began to kiss the Doctor’s neck, those sweet kisses quickly turning into electrifying bites that sent shivers and moans through the Doctor. He kissed farther and farther down until he came to the Doctor’s nipples. 

The Doctor watched as the Master’s lips hovered over his chest. His hearts were beating like hell and his breath was held with expectation and a little bit of fear. 

The Master gave the Doctor a sly smile before leaning down and biting the small erect bud. 

“Ah!” He gasped with pain and shock, but couldn't help but moan loudly as the combined sensations of the Master slowly stroking him and biting and sucking his nipple combined into burning pleasure. 

The Master continued to painfully tease the Doctor, quickly biting the other one. The Doctor could feel the Master through his pants as he brushed against the Doctor’s thigh, and without thinking, the Doctor reached down to stroke the Master.

The Master let out a small gasp as the Doctor rubbed him through his pants, and for a second, he stayed there, practically straddling the Doctor with his lips touching his chest, but he quickly recovered and jerked away as the Doctor tried to unzip him. 

He grabbed the Doctor’s hand and the Doctor whimpered slightly as the Master took his hand away from the Doctor’s erection. 

“You have a concussion.” The Master said, smiling cruelly, “and I was told you couldn't participate in any rough or physical activities.” 

The Doctor panted, his brow was sweaty as he started to think with his head again. He had almost let the Master have sex with him. He’d wanted it- no he  _ still _ wanted it, even while thinking somewhat rationally. 

“You need plenty of rest Doctor.” The Master said smugly, giving him a rough and possessive kiss before sliding off of the Doctor and pulling the covers over him. 

The Doctor had to bite his lip to stop himself from letting out another needy whimper as the Master drew away. He watched as the shorter time lord began to take off his jacket and shirt, stripping until he was in his underwear. The Doctor’s hearts were still racing as the Master climbed into bed next to him, draping his muscular arm across the Doctor’s waist and closing his eyes. Thanks to the Master’s handiwork however, it took the Doctor twice as long to finally fall asleep. He briefly considered finishing himself off, but the fear of the Master finding out in the morning quickly ruled that option out. Besides, he told himself, what had just happened was wrong, completely wrong. He couldn’t cross that line with the Master, no matter how much he wanted to. When the Doctor finally fell asleep in the warm embrace of his oldest friend, it was with two hearts heavy with confusion and guilt. 


	11. Chapter 11: Martha

The night was filled with a darkness that humanity had never known. In the beginning, there were stars, glittering sirens that tempted man to invent and evolve. Then, there were more lights upon the Earth than there was in the sky and mankind became self-obsessed. So self-obsessed that they didn’t even notice destruction on our doorstep until it was too late. Now, thick clouds of pollution blocked out even the moon, and the valleys of ruined houses were cold and empty. 

Martha clutched the flashlight from the guard as the two women stumbled through the darkness. It was hard to tell where the hot, muddy earth stopped and the thick, grease-filled air began as they trudged on. Martha kept looking back at the shrinking Valiant, waiting for the doors to open and the soldiers pour out. 

But the beast stayed asleep, and Martha sent one last anxious look its way before ducking behind the broken suburbs with Lina. They walked all night in silence, shining their lights on the vague ‘X’ and the mysterious squiggles that lay between it. The squiggle on the map turned out to represent a marsh so putrid and deep that they gave up going around it after hours of walking on its banks.  
“Looks like we’ve got to go through.” Lina finally said. 

Martha just glared at the bog, as if her defiance would be enough to dry it up. After a minute of this, Lina put a hand on Martha’s shoulder,

“Are you ok?” She asked.

“I--yeah. I’m fine.” Martha said, “Just thinking is all.”

“We’ll be fine, in and out.” Lina said. “It doesn’t even look that deep.” Her words were not convincing. In the dark, the marsh didn’t even look different than the ground around it. That was how thick the mud was. 

They started by holding hands as they waded in. The first step into the bog and the mud had already engulfed their calves. Martha struggled to keep her breath steady as they continued to wade in and the mud slowly began swallowing her. As the thick, rotting mud rose up past their chests, Martha pushed ahead, letting go of Lina’s hand and trudging forward on her own. The blood was pounding in her ears now, it was just as hot as the mud that was swallowing her head whole. She couldn’t tell what was her body and what was the mud. It felt like it was seeping into her veins, thickening her blood and making her movements sluggish and painful. 

Later on, Martha would try to recall how she did it once the mud had swallowed her head. She’d been so scared during the whole thing that she had difficulty recalling it after. But somehow, Martha was able to claw her way through the bog until her head broke the surface.  
As soon as she’d pulled her torso onto solid land, her throat convulsed. The mud clinged onto her eyelashes and had wormed its way down into her stomach. It took her a few minutes of hacking and groaning before she even thought about Lina.

She sat bolt upright, eyes wide in the darkness. Still gasping for air, Martha fumbled around with her jacket, pulling out the flashlight caked in mud. She wiped the glass clear with her inner wrist and scanned the shoreline with the light. Around her was the swarms of mosquitoes.  
She got to her feet so quickly that she almost fell back into the mud.

“Lina?” She shouted, casting the beam in wild arcs over the muddy abyss. There was no response, but by pure luck, the flashlight happened to fall upon a few ripples in the mud. Martha fixed the flashlight on that patch of mud, watching with horror as the ripples got slower and weaker.

“Fuck!” She said. She dropped the flashlight on the bank and waded back into the suffocating darkness.

“Lina! I’m coming for you, don’t give up.” Martha said. Her breaths were coming out short and frantic as the mud rose again past her hips and enveloping her entire body. She couldn’t see. Everything was dark. Martha pushed her arms under the mud, searching for skin. 

The mud rose to her chest, and tears pricked her eyes as her lungs were squeezed by the mud.  
“Where are you…” Martha gasped. She couldn’t move her legs, and the mud was enveloping her shoulders. She craned her head up to the ruined sky, her mouth gaping open with a silent scream. Her hands moved sluggishly through the mud. She couldn’t move anymore, but she felt the mud creeping up her body, pulling her down and eating her alive.

Then, Martha’s finger brushed against something solid. She grabbed it, and pulled with all her strength. Lina’s limp hand popped up from the mud with Martha’s. Martha let out a gasp and immediately felt the mud close in around her again, crushing her lungs.

Martha felt her face being swallowed and kicked as hard as she could, gripping Lina’s arm with two clenched hands. She was moving slowly. 

It’s too slow. She’s already dead.

Martha kicked harder, she kicked so hard that she felt her muscle spasm with pain. But it was working. Slowly the beast relinquished her shoulders, and Martha was able to grab ahold of Lina’s torso. She kept kicking and kicking until her body was screaming with agony and the mud was only up to her thighs. From there, Martha stumbled to shore, barely managing to drag the older woman along. 

Martha practically fell on Lina while trying to set her down. With a trembling hand, she wiped the mud from the woman’s nose and mouth. There was no air coming out of either. Martha set to work immediately, tilting Lina’s head so the thick ooze could fall out of her mouth and nose. Martha performed CPR as best she could, though her body trembled, threatening to collapse at any moment.

She counted aloud, pushing down and then pressing her lips against Lina’s muddy ones. It felt like ages. She counted more and more. It felt like she was touching a corpse, but Martha ignored the feeling, pushing on. 

She stayed there, trying to push air into the older woman’s body until her trembling limbs could take no more.

Martha collapsed on what was once Lina, her mouth stretched open as silent sobs wracked through her body. She didn’t know how long she lay there, clutching Lina’s corpse, but sleep overtook her quickly. 

Martha had no dreams.

When Martha woke up, the first thing she noticed was that Lina’s body was gone. Martha couldn’t move from the ground, her body was in so much pain. She seemed to be in some sort of adobe cell, but Martha didn’t much care. 

Her thoughts kept running in circles. How long had Martha really waited on shore before going back in to search for her? She’d been so tired, so sore. How long had Lina been waiting for Martha? How long had she been waiting in the mud, dead? Martha could not imagine a worse death than dying alone with rotting filth filling your body, and she had let Lina die that death.

Tears welled up in Martha’s eyes and soaked into the dirt floor. She cried more than she thought she could, her whole body shaking as she tried to suppress the sounds of her sobs. 

The tears eventually gave way to Martha staring blankly at the wall in front of her. She watched light from the barred window get lower and lower until the silhouette and the light blurred and faded together. Crickets began chirping again, and Martha sat up.

Her eyes were puffy and her tongue was still gritty from the mud. Her vision blurred as she got to her feet, and black dots played across her vision. Martha took in a deep shaky breath and let it out. The black dots faded and she looked around her cell.

There was a tin can for pissing in, but other than that, the cell was bare. The door was made of metal and didn’t budge when she tugged on it. That was fine. Martha couldn’t have gotten far even if she got the door open. She peered out at her twilight surroundings, clutching the window’s bars. 

In the fading light, Martha could see that the cell was in a clearing. Bugs swarmed in large clouds over the muddy grass and thick trees with low hanging branches limited Martha from seeing beyond the clearing. Despite this, Martha could still hear shouts and laughter in the distance. There was some strange metal music playing in the background, and it sounded like at least two dozen people celebrating.

She assumed these were the rebels the guard had told her about. Martha turned and slid down the wall until she was sitting back on the floor. She found herself watching the ants and beetles that scuttled across the floor without a single emotion crossing her face. 

Martha didn’t know how long it took, but at some point during the night, she heard two men walking towards the cell. They stumbled through the marsh with uneasy feet, giggling and cursing in the moonlight as they approached Martha. She curled her hand into a cautionary fist, but it trembled as the men unlocked the door and poured in.

Immediately, the smell of alcohol hit Martha so hard that she nearly gagged, pressing her hands against the wall for support. Following the strong smell was the undeniable smell of weed. 

“Ayo! Martha Jones!” One of the men sang in a rough voice. He had large matted dreadlocks and a thick scraggly beard. Even in the faint moonlight, Martha could see his shirt was sharpied with the words:

“I EAT FISH AND PUSSY” 

He lurched towards her, and Martha backed up into the corner. She pressed her hand against the wall, getting ready to use it to propel herself at the man. Then she noticed he had a plate full of food in his hand. 

Martha felt hot spit fill her mouth at the sight of the meat and bread. It looked so damned good to her, and she longed to erase the taste of mud from her mouth.

The man offered her the plate with a grin, and Martha took it. The second man stepped forward and handed her a canteen of water. He had skin so dark it looked like the night sky. His eyes gleamed like stars and he had the goofiest smile Martha had ever seen.

Once they’d handed Martha their offerings, the men giggled like little school girls, stumbling over each other as they rushed to leave. Martha watched them run halfway across the clearing before she remembered her voice,

“Am I safe?” She yelled after them. Her voice was dry, and she imagined flakes of mud coming up with her words.

The white man shouted back, “We’ll know tomorrow!” Then, the two of them started singing with drunken voices, “We’ll knooowww tomorrowww Martha Jonesss!” 

Martha could hear their voices echo long after she’d finished eating and long after she’d drained the last drop from the canteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so sorry for the hiatus. I've been going through a rough breakup and it's really impacted my ability to write the way I used to. That being said, I'm still really passionate about this fanfic, it just might take me a little extra time to get chapters up for a while. Thank you to everyone who's been sticking with this story, I really appreciate and treasure y'all!
> 
> Stay safe, stay healthy, and take care of yourselves!!


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